More Than a New Life
by Keian
Summary: Starting as a one-shot of smut, this may eventually turn into a series of ficlets exploring Shepard and Samara's experiences as they wander the galaxy. Samara/Femshep pairing. Cover artwork by Saltycatfish.


**Author's Note:** This is a direct continuation of my other story, 'More Than Happiness'. I recommend reading that first if you want to see how Shepard and Samara's relationship came about. If not, then just know that my Shep is: Paragon/Colonist/War Hero/Infiltrator

A _HUGE_ thank you to R.J. Ames whose suggestions and comments really helped me flesh everything out. Without her, this chapter would be a shell of itself.

Also, thank you to Zant for his usual help. :)

**Warning: Rated M for explicit sexual content. **If you are uncomfortable with femslash or sex scenes, turn back now. Oh, you're here _for_ the sex scene? Well then, proceed along!

•°•¤•°•

"So," Shepard said, a glint in her eyes. "Where to?"

She smiled patiently at Samara, expecting her companion to take some time to consider their destination, but the asari replied almost instantly.

"Our first stop should be Thessia. The Matriarchs have requested my presence and we can pay Dr. T'Soni a visit. Our next course of action can be decided from there."

"Sounds good," Shepard said, punching several command codes into the ship's interface.

The ship's engine hummed and then whirred as they lifted off. The inertia dampeners muted the force of acceleration and made the shift in momentum barely perceptible; Shepard only felt a slight tilt in balance as they ascended through the clouds on their way to Lesuss's atmosphere.

Gazing out the frontal viewport, she reveled in the sight. She loved watching the endless expanse of white and blue as they zoomed towards the giant vastness above. It reminded her of how small she was in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, lift-off always gave her a sense of freedom, possibility, and adventure. These feelings were amplified this time since she was _finally_ embarking on her new life with Samara.

After less than two minutes, they had cleared the planet's atmosphere. Lesuss shone along the bottom of the viewport; a bright blue and white crescent against the black backdrop of space.

She gave Samara another cheerful grin—still on cloud nine at the thought of their future together—before reaching for the communications console. It would be a good idea to link up to the com relay and contact Liara to let her know to expect them before they engaged the drive core and jumped to FTL.

Several seconds later, the call connected and a pale orange light scanned over her. At the same time, Liara's image coalesced over the projection pad on the center of the console.

"Shepard," the asari said with a bright smile. "It is good to see you."

"You too, Liara. Are you settling into your new job at the university?"

"Yes, the other professors have been very welcoming. And, it is good to be here—using my resources to help with the rebuilding efforts."

Shepard nodded, glad to see that her friend was able to put her shadow broker resources to good use. She remembered how torn up Liara had been after the fall of the asari homeworld.

Liara continued, "Not that I do not appreciate the chance to just talk with you, but I assume there is a reason you called?"

"Samara and I are on our way to Thessia and we wanted to visit."

"I take it that means things went well with her," Liara said, a sly expression on her face.

Shepard glanced at Samara, who was silently watching the exchange from the co-pilot's seat, and met her eyes.

"Yeah, you could say that," she said, grinning. When the matriarch gave her a soft smile in return, her grin widened.

"I am happy for you, Shepard."

"Thanks," she replied, turning back to holographic Liara.

Liara smiled warmly. "And of course you are welcome here. My home is your home."

"Great, we should be there in less than one solar day. See you then."

"See you, Shepard."

As the call terminated and the holograph flickered off, Shepard brought up the navigation console. After making several course calculations, she entered them into the three-dimensional star chart hovering in front of her. The ship turned towards the arranged trajectory, the drive core roared to life and they jumped into FTL, leaving a glowing burst of heat and emissions in their wake.

"Okay," she said, turning once more to Samara. "ETA 17 hours. We've got some time to kill. You want a tour of the ship?"

Samara glanced at the area behind them and nodded. With their destination set and the FTL drive engaged, their journey would be mostly VI-automated. After double-checking to ensure that everything was green and alerts were on, the pair rose.

Shepard led the way as they moved out of the cockpit and into the holding area next to the ship's entrance. They walked past a small armory and a work bench; a set of blast doors that separated the front of the ship from the rest; a lounge area with two sofas and a coffee table; and a small kitchen with a built-in dining table.

Continuing on, they entered a short hallway with three doors.

"This is the medbay," Shepard said as she gestured to the entrance on their right. "It's not as well equipped as the ones on real warships like the Normandy, but it'll do for emergencies. Behind it is a small section that can be used as storage or as a temporary brig."

She pointed towards the door to their left. "That goes to the bathroom. And this," she stepped towards the door in front of them and it whooshed open for her, "is the bedroom."

As she entered, the lights flickered on automatically. Samara followed, surveying the area. The room was big enough to fit a long queen bed, a bedside stand, a closet, and not much else.

"Oh," Shepard said, squeezing back past Samara towards the kitchen. "Almost forgot. There's a hatch down here on the floor that leads to a small storage sub-deck. A couple of hibernation pods and the emergency hatches are down here as well." She lifted a panel on the floor to reveal a short set of ladders which led to an unlit space.

Still standing in the doorway, Samara peered over her shoulder at the human.

"Shepard," she said smoothly. "We are no longer in a monastery. Are you really leading me away from the bedroom?"

Shepard blinked several times as she watched the matriarch's retreating back.

_Am I... Is she... Are we...?_

She blinked again, her brain attempting to navigate through the sudden multi-lane pile up of thoughts. As a mixture of comprehension and surprise swirled through her, a dumb smirk that she was glad no one was around to see spread across her face. She quickly dropped the hatch and hurried after Samara.

Entering the room, she closed the distance between them, her heart thundering in her ears.

Samara turned to face her as she approached, and before she had time to think, their lips collided in a hungry kiss. She felt fingers slip into her hair, drawing her in. Simultaneously, her arms coiled around the asari's waist and pulled her closer. They swiftly deepened the kiss; each welcoming the other's tongue to taste and explore.

Shepard felt all of her long suppressed need and desire exploding to the fore.

She'd been holding a torch for Samara for nearly two years. Throughout that period, despite not knowing whether she had a future with the asari, she'd stayed true to her feelings. Romance had never been a priority in her life. Ever since Mindoir, she had dedicated all of her time and energy into her military career—into helping the helpless. She was used to being alone. Growing up as an only child and then as an orphan had taught her independence. Even though she'd always been alone, she'd never been lonely.

That all changed once Samara entered her life.

Everything she'd never dared to hope for, everything she'd never even known she'd wanted or had missed, she'd found within the justicar. For the first time in her life, Shepard had pictured someone beside her, walking along the same path. Only, Samara had rejected her then, having grown too accustomed to strides of solitude.

Shepard had been heartbroken, but too much had been at stake in the galaxy for her to dwell on personal affairs. And so, she'd refocused her energies towards defeating the Collectors and then the Reapers. However, without a doubt, the long months before and during the Reaper War had been the loneliest stretch of her life; a grueling test of her endurance.

Remembering the heartache and grief she'd felt back then, she tightened her grip around Samara and intensified their kiss, claiming the asari's mouth with increased urgency. She needed affirmation that this wasn't a dream; that Samara was indeed in her arms now.

Sensing her desperation, Samara countered with gentle strokes and soft caresses. The tenderness seemed wholly contradictory to Shepard's fervor, and Shepard's knees almost buckled with surprise. It was Samara's reassuring hold on her shoulders that steadied her and kept her in balance. **_  
_**

Shepard could not help but smile into their kiss as she began to adopt the matriarch's pace. Samara always did have a way of helping her find her equilibrium.

When Samara had finally accepted her affections at the monastery after the war, she had felt complete. She'd finally found a partner to share everything with. They became inseparable, often attending to all of the chores in the monastery together. Shepard had even insisted on sharing a bed, despite having to keep their interactions chaste. Those nights sleeping beside the asari, knowing the attraction was mutual, but being unable to act on it, had been the ultimate test of her self-control.

Self-control that was unraveling now.

Her hands began roaming, eager to explore, and glided down the asari's sides and hips. Samara encouraged her by tugging her closer and scraping her fingers lightly through her scalp. Feeling brave, she reached behind to seize firm cheeks. Then, wanting—_needing_—to be even closer, she pulled, causing their hips to crash together. Samara inhaled sharply at the unexpected move, breaking the kiss, and Shepard took the brief opportunity to gasp for some much-needed oxygen.

As she stared into Samara's pale-blue eyes, barely inches away, the predatory glean she caught staring back caused a thrill to run up her spine.

Their lips met again at a bruising speed and Shepard felt herself being steered backwards. She allowed herself to be led and back-peddled until her calves hit the edge of the bed.

A sudden shove and she found herself sitting on the mattress, peering up at the exquisite creature in front of her. Samara stood with her legs on either side of Shepard's, effectively straddling the human's knees.

A desire to rip the red armor off of the blue body coursed through her. But it was clear Samara wanted to lead this dance and she was more than willing to comply. Thanks to her career, she was usually commanding and directing others—it was a necessity. The idea of relinquishing control here, to let Samara dictate where they would go and just follow along for the ride, was remarkably arousing.

Her eyes followed hungrily as Samara lifted her right leg and placed her foot on the bed beside her, exposing muscular thighs. Silently thanking whatever deity was responsible for the form-fitting nature of Samara's armor, she ran a hand along the divine limb, feeling the firm muscles underneath. Her eyes tracked the patterns in the black sections of the armor, moving upwards until they settled on the juncture between Samara's thighs.

She must have been staring because Samara stooped down and guided her hand towards a zipper.

"Help me remove my boots," Samara said, catching her eye with a small, amused smile.

Shepard blinked and quickly moved as requested, her nimble fingers undoing the clasps and zips. Once she peeled them off, she tossed the boots casually to the side, causing _clunks_ on the metal floor.

Standing on bare feet, Samara silently offered a gloved hand. Taking it, Shepard began tugging at the material—one finger at a time—before pulling the whole thing off.

They twined their nude fingers together momentarily and Shepard marveled at the soft and cool feeling of Samara's skin against her own. It was rare for the justicar's hands to be uncovered and the intimacy of the moment was not lost on her.

Meeting Samara's gaze, she felt her pulse skip several beats.

"Lay back."

Samara could have asked her to do anything in that moment. As she scooted backwards, the asari's hands were already upon her, pulling first at her belt, then her shoes and socks, and then her pants, removing her clothing with graceful ease.

Samara ran her eyes along Shepard's bare thighs, the gaze scorching like an actual touch. Shepard gritted her teeth as she fought to remain patient. Her underwear felt incredibly soaked.

"All the way back, on the pillows."

Shepard instantly did as she was told.

As Samara began to crawl up the bed towards her, her breath caught in her throat. The shape the asari took... The electrifying stare... Shepard was entranced. Ravenous eyes roamed, eager to take in as much as possible. Her sight settled on the blue valley of skin between dangling cleavage, and she had another urge to tear the armor away—to see if the blue breasts were as soft and supple as they looked—but managed to retain control.

Once Samara reached Shepard, she straddled the sitting human, bringing the sliver of blue that Shepard had been so focused on, tantalizingly close to her face. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she dragged her eyes upward, along a collarbone, a jawline, lavender lips, a nose, and finally into Samara's smoldering gaze.

Samara dipped downward at the same instant that Shepard tilted her head up, their lips crashing in a haze of need. Shepard lost herself in the kiss, the wet heat of their tongues sweeping all thoughts aside. It wasn't until she felt hands tugging at her jacket that she had the presence of mind to pull back slightly, without breaking their kiss, to shrug it off.

Samara's hands delved under the hem of her shirt and lightly caressed her bare stomach, causing her muscles to quiver. Blue hands then moved up her sides, pulling fabric with them, and Shepard lifted her arms.

The instant she was relieved of her shirt, she dove forward—unable to resist from taking the initiative any longer—and pressed open-mouthed kisses onto Samara's sternum. Wrapping her arms around the asari to hold her in place, she ran the tip of her tongue along smooth blue skin, occasionally interspersing the licks with gentle nips. She felt Samara's hands move to caress the back of her neck; felt fingers tangling in her hair.

After a moment, Shepard paused to watch as Samara began undoing the clasps and ties of her own armor. Eyes met briefly, full of tantalizing promises, before Samara grasped the front of her bodysuit and began peeling it back at an agonizing pace.

All of the months Shepard had spent dreaming of this moment raced through her mind. How long had she fantasized about this? How often had she imagined what those breasts looked like freed from their armor? And here she was; her wait over. It seemed almost surreal.

She held her breath as red gear slipped off of blue shoulders, slowly revealing luscious breasts. Her mouth went dry. It was the best view she had ever seen, beyond any of her feverish wishes or wildest fantasies. Her vision drank in the sight, roving over the slopes and curves, the darker areolae, and the slightly lavender tips which already looked painfully hard. They were perfect. Samara was perfect.**_  
_**

She lunged forth once more, placing ardent kisses on the swell of a breast, nuzzling and licking her way underneath, feeling the weight of it pressing against her face. She continued to kiss her way around, completing a full circle before finally taking the nipple into her mouth. Samara let out a soft hum of approval as Shepard suckled and then swiped her tongue back and forth against the sensitive bud. The noise caused a fresh wave of moisture to flood the junction between Shepard's thighs; it made her want to see what other noises she could draw out of the justicar.

She made her way to the other breast and repeated the process, placing earnest kisses along the soft skin before curving her way to the peak. Lightly, she grazed her teeth along the stiff nipple, then, she enclosed her mouth around it and sucked—hard.

She heard Samara inhale sharply and felt the hands cupping her face pull her upwards into a deep and needy kiss. She gladly cooperated, smothering the asari's mouth with her own, returning the intensity, stroke for stroke.

Hands and bodies moved feverishly, impatiently prying and tugging at the remaining articles of clothing. As Samara re-straddled her, they both sighed as they felt the delicious heat of unbarred skin-on-skin contact.

Another shove and Shepard was sent to her back. She smirked and looked up at the blue goddess on top of her, their eyes locking in a dizzying gaze. Her hands began brushing up and down the powerful thighs along her sides, eager to touch every inch of available skin.

Samara reached behind her neck, unfastened her golden justicar collar with a _click_, and gently stripped it off. The act seemed momentous somehow, as though Samara was finally, _truly_ laying herself bare, and Shepard halted her roaming fingers to watch.

Cradling the collar in both hands, Samara leaned over and placed it neatly upon the bedside stand. As she straightened, their eyes met again.

Samara smiled softly at her, causing her heart to flutter and an answering smile to spread upon her face.

Staring into each other, Shepard's fingertips glided upwards along Samara's hips, past the slender waist, and towards her goal. Reaching supple breasts, she cupped one in each hand, squeezing them together and savoring the hefty feel of them, before she palmed each one, feeling the hardened tips pressing into her grip.

Samara tensed and arched to the touch, grinding into Shepard's lower abdomen, giving Shepard full evidence of her arousal. Shepard bit back a moan, her own core throbbing in response.

As though sensing her need, Samara shifted to the side and slid down the human's thigh, leaving a slick trail of warmth in her wake. The wetness cooled instantly against the air, sharply juxtaposing against the burning heat thrumming through the rest of Shepard's body.

Shepard groaned as she watched Samara use two fingers to slather up some of the moisture and trail them towards her center. She almost growled as the asari bypassed her swollen clit, teasing instead along her outer folds.

"Samara—"

Without warning, one finger pushed past her entrance, gliding in smoothly, and silencing her. Their eyes locked again and the amount of raw emotion and desire she saw left her feeling slightly breathless. Involuntarily, her hips rocked forward, clearly eager for more, and she felt a second finger enter her, stretching her delightfully. Another soft moan escaped her lips and she fought valiantly to hold onto their gaze, straining a bit once blue fingers began to develop a slow rhythm. When Samara's thumb moved to circle lazily over her hard clit, she finally succumbed, and allowed her eyes to flutter shut.

"Shepard, look at me."

Instantly, she was lost again in a sea of blue.

Samara's fingers curled inside of her, scraping against her front wall as they pumped in and out, causing her to gasp and almost become undone right there. Managing to hang on, she watched as piercing blue eyes turned obsidian.

"Embrace eternity."

She sensed the asari's mind carefully reaching out, probing and skimming against her consciousness with deliberate swipes, like someone testing the water with their foot. Wanting to reassure Samara that she was familiar with the melding process, she swiftly brought her mental barriers down. She felt rather than saw the matriarch smile, and coaxed the asari deeper and deeper into her psyche.

Samara's mind was wondrous and expansive. Shepard felt as though she was being submerged into a very still, deep, and mysterious pool. Nearly a thousand years of experiences and memories loomed nebulously around, threatening to overwhelm her, but she knew she was safe. She could feel Samara enveloping her in tenderness and an incredible amount of mental control. Feelings and emotions flitted across her consciousness, like fish darting upon the surface: Joy. Adoration. Lust. Yearning. She projected her own feelings, responding in kind.

Her hand reached to gently stroke the folds behind Samara's neck, knowing just how sensitive that area became during a Joining. As her fingertips delicately traced the ridges and grooves at the base of the asari's skull, she felt Samara answer by increasing her own pace. Shepard grinned through her haze. The sensation of Samara was indescribable.

Immersing further and further into the meld, their hearts began to beat in unison and their individual identities melted away. More unfiltered emotions rushed to the fore, though this time neither knew who the feelings belonged to. Hints of loneliness, followed by a sense of completeness, and then... **love**.

They latched onto the feeling, reflecting it back and forth and amplifying it until every molecule in their bodies seemed to be made of nothing but light and _love_.

Their fingers continued moving at a frenetic pace, causing wonderful sensations to echo through their meld, perfectly supplementing the incredible euphoria coursing through their veins. They pushed closer and closer to the peak, until together, they surged over the crest. Pressing tightly into each other, as though to merge their physical bodies along with their souls, they rode out wave after wave of unfettered bliss.

As they came down from the climax of the Joining and the meld began to fade, they slowly untangled from each other; nuzzling and kissing and touching through the last of the gentle aftershocks.

While Shepard attempted to reacquaint herself with her own thoughts and feelings, she felt Samara roll off and settle at her side. Completely spent and content, Shepard lay panting, just attempting to catch her breath.

Forming coherent thoughts was difficult, but a silly grin languidly made its way across her face. Never had she experienced anything so... intense.

_And satisfying_.

When her heartbeat and breathing finally began to settle, she turned with loving eyes towards Samara only to be startled by the tears she found trailing down her lover's otherwise serene face.

"Hey," she said tenderly and quickly sat up. Reaching over, she brushed her thumb across Samara's cheek. "I wasn't that bad, was I?" she joked.

Samara's eyes widened—as though surprised to discover the tears—and lifted a hand to wipe the rest of the offending dampness away.

"Of course not, Shepard. You were remarkable," a wistful smile appeared," I suppose I am slightly overwhelmed. I had forgotten what many of these emotions felt like."

A keen sense of sadness hit Shepard. Grabbing a blue hand, she held it close to her chest, above her heart, and struggled to find words to convey the emotions she was feeling. Her desire to comfort Samara—to make Samara happy—was overwhelming. During their meld, before individual distinctions had been lost, Shepard had gleaned faint pangs of loneliness from the justicar. It was deep and well protected, but she had felt it.

She settled on a promise.

"I swear to you," she said, her voice earnest and sincere. "As long as I draw breath, you will _never_ have to forget again."

Samara stared silently for several moments. Then, the corners of her lips lifted into a small but radiant smile.

"I would like that."

Echoing her smile, Shepard leaned in and captured her lips in a gentle, lingering kiss. She attempted to pour all of her love and devotion into the act—hoping to express with action what words could not. Samara kissed back, thoroughly meeting all of Shepard's soft caresses with her own.

"Meld with me," Shepard requested as they slowly drew apart.

"Shepard," Samara replied with an amused but apologetic expression. "I am afraid I am not as young as I used to be and need some time to recoup."

"A knowledge meld then. I just want to be with you right now."

•°•¤•°•

Gazing at Shepard, Samara witnessed firsthand what humans termed 'puppy-dog eyes'. The adorable expression Shepard peered at her with, so full of unconditional love and affection, caused her objection to completely melt. She was swiftly discovering that she had trouble saying no to the human. Shepard had a charm and persistence to her that was dangerously disarming.

Conceding, she expanded her mind outwards and initiated a knowledge meld. It would be shallower than a full Joining and their nervous systems would not sync up, however, it would allow them to pass thoughts, memories and feelings across their connection.

She felt Shepard quickly drop her barriers and greet her enthusiastically, enveloping her in the mental equivalent of an embrace.

_You are quite adept at melding_, Samara noted. _My__ studies of your species never spoke of such a high level of mental control._

A bit of sheepishness emanated across their link.

_I had a... teacher, _Shepard replied, after groping around for the right word.

_Oh?_

Samara knew Shepard would feel her curiosity.

It had been obvious during their Joining that Shepard had extensive experience with asari. Normally, Joining with someone who was not accustomed to melding required a lot of effort on the melder's part. Alien minds naturally resisted the process and mental barriers often took a while to pass through. Shepard, on the other hand, had known exactly how to engage their minds, how to control her mental barrier and exactly where to physically touch the asari to illicit the most heightened response.

_I was stationed near Elysium when I was younger and used to take my shore leaves there._ A mixture of images and feelings flashed quickly at the mention of Elysium: batarians and violence; scared civilians and panic; determination and then relief. The images and emotions were quickly swept aside as Shepard continued._ There was this bar I liked to custom - _Samara caught a brief whiff of sweat and alcohol -_ It was a bit of a dive but I loved the laid back atmosphere. They had live music and..._

An image of an attractive asari swam to the surface.

Shepard's thought trailed off and Samara sensed hesitancy. Speaking about her sexual history to her current partner was obviously making Shepard feel a bit awkward. Trying to encourage the human, Samara sent waves of reassurances.

_We all have pasts, Shepard. As a maiden, mine was quite colorful. I know your character well and my feelings for you will not change regardless of what I may learn._

Gratitude and reinforced confidence seeped through their connection and Shepard continued.

_The asari, Iyala, was a singer. A matron. I was young. Curious. She and I had a sort of... uh... arrangement__._

Recognizing the clipped thoughts as a sign of continued discomfort, Samara attempted to help Shepard along. _Sex,__ with no strings attached? _she ventured._  
_

Shepard's eyes widened and she nodded. _She... taught me. About asari. And sex in general, I guess__._

Samara smiled. Shepard's sheepishness was oddly endearing.

_Am I the second asari you have been with, then?_

_Fifth. No—er, third if you don't count knowledge melds._

An image of Sha'ira the consort, an unknown asari and Liara blinked through their minds.

___I helped Sha'ira with a problem a few years back ____- _Samara glimpsed a grizzled old turian and felt a twinge of sympathy - _and she, uh... rewarded me for the trouble. The one you don't recognize is Shiala; she transferred a Prothean cipher to me -_ Shepard forcefully suppressed feelings of revulsion as the memory of a creature called a Thorian was triggered - _a__nd Liara helped me decode the Prothean beacon after the original attack on Eden Prime,_ Shepard finished quickly, brushing aside the unpleasant images of the beacon's message.

Samara nodded. Though she was interested in learning more about some of these recollections—the tale of the Thorian would no doubt be a good one—she focused on the topic at hand. Of the sexual melds, this Iyala had been a casual, if extended, fling. The consort was certainly a fling. _What of relationships? _she asked_._

The picture of a young, blonde human girl appeared, along with the feeling of a spring breeze, the sound of carefree laughter, and the smell of freshly cut grass.

_She died during the batarian raid on Mindoir_, Shepard supplied with a twinge of muted sadness. _And... that's it, really. A couple of dates here and there. But military life and fraternization didn't exactly go hand-in-hand__._

It was Samara's turn to feel slightly sheepish. Shepard had experienced one young love and some casual dalliances. She could tell through their connection that Shepard considered her to be her first meaningful relationship. In comparison, she'd had hundreds of years of liaisons and lovers, even a bondmate...

_Hey_, Shepard interjected. _I__ don't care about that. I don't mind that you've had way more partners or that I'm not your first love_. She fixed Samara with an intense gaze. _I__ just want to be your last__._

Samara's eyes softened and she smiled in response. _Of that you can be certain_.

_Good. And, I wasn't... bad or anything, was I__?_

Though she had joked about performing unsatisfactorily earlier, this time, an authentic hint of worry leaked through their link. Her uncharacteristic display of vulnerability caused Samara's heart to swell.

_You were _**_amazing_**. Samara emphasized slowly, eager to dispel the concern.

A lop-sided grin appeared on the human's face and instantly Samara sensed the mood shift. A large rush of playfulness took over.

_Yeah? Well, have you recouped enough? Are you ready to be _**_amazed _**_again?_

Shepard began peppering her neck and collarbone with quick, butterfly kisses and Samara could not help but let out a soft laugh as both the mood as well as Shepard's kisses tickled her greatly.

A sudden sense of wonderment flooded through and Shepard stopped to peer into her eyes.

_I don't think I've ever heard you laugh before_.

_I never had a reason to laugh before__._

_Mmm, well that's another thing to add to my list then__._

_Your list__?_

Shepard nodded seriously. _One: to make you happy. Two: to keep you safe. And now, three: to make you laugh__._

Shepard's declaration caused a surge of affection—along with a healthy stab of desire—to flare through Samara's psyche. Feeling it, Shepard grinned again.

_Does that mean you're ready for round two__?_

_Shepard... _Samara's tone was chiding but she smiled.

_How about if I do all the work__? _Shepard asked.

Holding Samara's gaze, she dipped down until she reached a breast. Then, her tongue darted out and twirled around Samara's nipple, instantly drawing the already stiff bud into an impossibly hard peak.

Samara inhaled sharply, feeling her objection crumbling once more.

_Shepard.__.._

_Yes__?_

—_Yes__._

Shepard gave Samara a delighted, wolfish grin and her eyes twinkled mischievously. The sight drew another soft laugh from the matriarch.

Shepard made her feel wanted. Euphoric. _Young_.

Settling back onto the bed, she relaxed her body while Shepard began kissing, nibbling and licking her way downwards.

Eventually, she let out a quiet sigh as Shepard's tongue finally found its mark. The human kept her word, toiling away and lifting them both towards another shared crescendo.


End file.
